Borsos Competition Explained

The Borsos Competition is the main awards program for Canadian feature films screening at the annual Whistler Film Festival.[1] Introduced for the first time in 2004, the juried competition presents six awards annually to honour films, actors, screenplays, directors, cinematographers and editors in Canadian cinema. Initially, only films that were having their world premieres at Whistler were eligible for the competition,[2] although this requirement was soon dropped as the festival had difficulty attracting entrants who were willing to forego larger film festivals such as TIFF or the FNC, and thereafter films selected for competition only had to be a regional premiere within the Western Canada region.

From the award's inauguration until 2015, six films were selected for competition each year, except in 2012 when eight films competed; in 2015, the festival dropped size limits, and since then the competition has typically included between 10 and 20 films per year.

The award is named in memory of Canadian film director Phillip Borsos.[3]

The festival also presents several other awards, which are not part of the Borsos Competition.

Films in competition

2000s

YearFilmDirectorRef
2004The Papal ChaseKenny Hotz[4]
Better Off in BedReginald Harkema[5]
Cable BeachJames Head
EighteenRichard Bell
Part of the GameRick Alyea
Pink LudoosGaurav Seth
2005Exiles in LotuslandIlan Saragosti[6]
The End of SilenceAnita Doron[7]
Fetching CodyDavid Ray
Love Is WorkJohn Kalangis
Six FiguresDavid Christensen
The Zero SumRaphael Assaf
2006The Secret Life of Happy People (La vie secrète des gens heureux)Stéphane Lapointe[8]
ImmigrantBojan Bodružić[9]
The PointJoshua Dorsey
SK8S. Wyeth Clarkson
Steel ToesDavid Gow, Mark Adam
Who Loves the SunMatt Bissonnette
Craft awards:
Catherine De Léan (The Secret Life of Happy People) and Andrew Walker (Steel Toes), Best Performance
2007Continental, a Film Without Guns (Continental, un film sans fusil)Stéphane Lafleur[10]
AmalRichie Mehta[11]
Family MotelHelene Klodawsky
PortageSascha Drews, Ezra Krybus
RiverMark Wihak
Walk All Over MeRobert Cuffley
Craft awards:
Maya Batten-Young (River) and Rupinder Nagra (Amal), Best Performance
20083 SeasonsJim Donovan[12]
The Baby FormulaAlison Reid[13]
Before Tomorrow (Le jour avant le lendemain)Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu
Girlfriend ExperienceIleana Pietrobruno
Nurse.Fighter.BoyCharles Officer
Who Is KK Downey?Pat Kiely, Darren Curtis
Craft awards:
Clark Johnson (Nurse.Fighter.Boy) and Carinne Leduc (3 Seasons), Best Performance
2009Vital Signs (Les Signes vitaux)Sophie Deraspe[14]
DefendorPeter Stebbings[15]
MachotaildropCorey Adams, Alex Craig
Skid LoveRyan Arnold
The Wild HuntAlexandre Franchi
Year of the CarnivoreSook-Yin Lee
Craft awards:
Marie-Hélène Bellavance (Vital Signs) and Woody Harrelson (Defendor), Best Performance

2010s

YearFilmDirectorRef
2010The WhistleblowerLarysa Kondracki[16]
Good NeighboursJacob Tierney[17]
Hard Core Logo 2Bruce McDonald
Jo for Jonathan (Jo pour Jonathan)Maxime Giroux
Small Town Murder SongsEd Gass-Donnelly
Wrecked Michael Greenspan
Craft awards:
Raphaël Lacaille (Jo for Jonathan) and Martha Plimpton (Small Town Murder Songs), Best Performance
2011KeyholeGuy Maddin[18]
388 Arletta AvenueRandall Cole[19]
Café de FloreJean-Marc Vallée
Doppelgänger PaulDylan Akio Smith, Kris Elgstrand
MarilynChristopher Petry
Monsieur LazharPhilippe Falardeau
Craft awards: None presented this year.
2012Picture DayKate Melville[20]
All That You Possess (Tout ce que tu possèdes)Bernard Émond[21]
Blood PressureSean Garrity
Fair Sex (Les Manèges humains)Martin Laroche
Home AgainSudz Sutherland
Mad ShipDavid Mortin
My Awkward Sexual AdventureSean Garrity
Still MineMichael McGowan
Craft awards:
Marie-Evelyne Lessard (Fair Sex) and Tatiana Maslany (Picture Day), Best Performance
2013
The HusbandBruce McDonald[22]
Cas & DylanJason Priestley[23]
Louis Cyr (Louis Cyr, l'homme le plus fort du monde)Daniel Roby
Patch TownCraig Goodwill
SiddharthRichie Mehta
UvangaMarie-Hélène Cousineau, Madeline Ivalu
Craft awards:
Tatiana Maslany (Cas & Dylan), Best Performance
2014Felix and Meira (Félix et Meira)Maxime Giroux[24]
After the BallSean Garrity[25]
Bang Bang BabyJeffrey St. Jules
Mountain MenCameron Labine
Relative HappinessDeanne Foley
WolvesDavid Hayter
Craft awards:
Hadas Yaron (Felix and Meira), Best Performance
Maxime Giroux (Felix and Meira), Best Director, Best Screenplay
2015RiverJamie M. Dagg[26]
Basic Human NeedsMatthew Yim[27]
The BirdwatcherSiobhan Devine
The Colossal Failure of the Modern RelationshipSergio Navarretta
The Demons (Les Démons)Philippe Lesage
The Diary of an Old Man (Le Journal d’un vieil homme)Bernard Émond
ForsakenJon Cassar
FSMMelanie M. Jones
He Hated PigeonsIngrid Veninger
The Hotel DieuAdrian Thiessen
The Mirage (Le Mirage)Ricardo Trogi
NatashaDavid Bezmozgis
NestorDaniel Robinson
NumbJason R. Goode
Patterson's WagerO. Corbin Saleken
The SabbaticalBrian Stockton
The StepsAndrew Currie
The SubletJohn Ainslie
SuspensionJeffery Scott Lando
Craft awards:
Paul Savoie (The Diary of an Old Man), Best Performance
Jamie M. Dagg (River), Best Director, Best Screenplay
Dylan Macleod (He Hated Pigeons), Best Cinematography
2016Before the Streets (Avant les rues)Chloé Leriche[28]
Ken Finkleman[29]
The Cyclotron (Le Cyclotron)Olivier Asselin
The Death (and Life) of Carl NaardlingerKatherine Schlemmer
Grand Unified TheoryDavid Ray
Hunting PignutMartine Blue
It's Not My Fault and I Don't Care AnywayChris Craddock
Lost SolaceChris Scheuerman
LovesickTyson Caron
MenorcaJohn Barnard
Population ZeroAdam Levins
RawDavid I. Strasser
Red MileJustin McConnell
The Second Time AroundLeon Marr
The Space BetweenAmy Jo Johnson
The Squealing GameSteve Kerr
The Sun at MidnightKirsten Carthew
The 3 L'il Pigs 2 (Les 3 p'tits cochons 2)Jean-François Pouliot
The VoidJeremy Gillespie, Steven Kostanski
Craft awards:
Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (The Sun at Midnight), Best Performance
Chloé Leriche (Before the Streets), Best Director
Olivier Asselin (The Cyclotron), Best Screenplay
Mathieu Laverdière (The Cyclotron), Best Cinematography
2017All You Can Eat BuddhaIan Lagarde[30]
AllureCarlos and Jason Sanchez
8 Minutes AheadBen Hoskyn[31]
Becoming BurlesqueJackie English
The CannonMarshall Axani
CardinalsGrayson Moore, Aidan Shipley
The DefinitesHannah Cheesman, Mackenzie Donaldson
Hochelaga, Land of Souls (Hochelaga, terre des âmes)François Girard
JuggernautDaniel DiMarco
Mobile HomesVladimir de Fontenay
Never Saw It ComingGail Harvey
Nobody FamousSarah Rotella
Porcupine LakeIngrid Veninger
The Prodigal DadRobert Wenzek
ProdigalsMichelle Ouellet
Santa Stole Our DogBryan Michael Stoller
Someone Else's WeddingPat Kiely
Trench 11Leo Scherman
Tulipani, Love, Honour and a BicycleMike van Diem
VenusEisha Marjara
Craft awards:
Evan Rachel Wood (Allure), Best Performance
Ian Lagarde (All You Can Eat Buddha), Best Director
Grayson Moore (Cardinals), Best Screenplay
Sara Mishara (Allure), Best Cinematography
2018A Colony (Une colonie)Geneviève Dulude-De Celles[32]
AcquaintedNatty Zavitz
An Audience of ChairsDeanne Foley
Bella Ciao!Carolyn Combs
The Dancing Dogs of DombrovaZack Bernbaum
Falls Around HerDarlene Naponse
Family First (Chien de garde)Sophie Dupuis
The Fireflies Are Gone (La Disparition des lucioles)Sébastien Pilote
Honey BeeRama Rau
In God I TrustMaja Zdanowski
Nose to TailJesse Zigelstein
Red RoverShane Belcourt
RoobhaLenin M. Sivam
Les Salopes, or the Naturally Wanton Pleasure of Skin (Les salopes ou le sucre naturel de la peau)Renée Beaulieu
SashinkaKristina Wagenbauer
StockholmRobert Budreau
Trouble in the GardenRoz Owen
WoodlandJon Silverberg
Craft awards:
Émilie Bierre (A Colony), Best Performance
Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (A Colony), Best Director
Robert Budreau (Stockholm), Best Screenplay
Michel La Veaux (The Fireflies Are Gone), Best Cinematography
2019AntigoneSophie Deraspe[33]
ApapachoMarquise Lepage[34]
Black ConfluxNicole Dorsey
Body and BonesMelanie Oates
Canadian StrainGeordie Sabbagh
The CubanSergio Navarretta
DreamlandBruce McDonald
EntangledGaurav Seth
Fall Back DownS. B. Edwards
From the VineSean Cisterna
Guilt (Le Coupable)Onur Karaman
HammerChristian Sparkes
The Marijuana ConspiracyCraig Pryce
PromiselandKirk Caouette
Queen of the Morning CalmGloria Ui Young Kim
SpinsterAndrea Dorfman
Things I Do for MoneyWarren P. Sonoda
ThunderbirdNicholas Treeshin
VolitionTony Dean Smith
We Had It ComingPaul Barbeau
Craft awards:
Nahéma Ricci (Antigone), Best Performance
Sophie Deraspe (Antigone), Best Director, Best Screenplay
Celiana Cárdenas (The Cuban), Best Cinematography

2020s

YearFilmDirectorRef
2020Little OrphansRuth Lawrence[35]
All In MadonnaArnold Lim[36]
An Introvert's Guide to High SchoolSophie Harvey
Between WavesVirginia Abramovich
The Corruption of Divine ProvidenceJeremy Torrie
Goddess of the Fireflies (La déesse des mouches à feu)Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette
In Her CityCarl Bessai
Indian Road TripAllan W. Hopkins
The Marina (La Marina)Christophe Levac, Étienne Galloy
MercySam Flamont
QuébexitJoshua Demers
Still the WaterSusan Rodgers
Sugar DaddyWendy Morgan
Underground (Souterrain)Sophie Dupuis
You Will Remember Me (Tu te souviendras de moi)Éric Tessier
Craft awards:
Rémy Girard (You Will Remember Me), Best Performance
Sophie Dupuis (Underground), Best Director
Gail Maurice, Xavier Yuvens and Joshua Demers (Québexit), Best Screenplay
Fred Gervais-Dupuis (The Marina), Best Cinematography
2021Cinema of SleepJeffrey St. Jules[37]
Altar BoyServille Poblete[38]
CarmenValerie Buhagiar
Confessions of a HitmanLuc Picard
Dawn, Her Dad and the TractorShelley Thompson
DrinkwaterStephen Campanelli
EvelyneCarl Bessai
InèsRenée Beaulieu
The Inhuman (L'Inhumain)Jason Brennan
LuneArturo Pérez Torres, Aviva Armour-Ostroff
The Noise of Engines (Le Bruit des moteurs)Philippe Grégoire
Nouveau QuébecSarah Fortin
Peace by ChocolateJonathan Keijser
Run Woman RunZoe Leigh Hopkins
We're All in This TogetherKatie Boland
Craft awards:
Dayo Ade (Cinema of Sleep), Best Performance
Luc Picard (Confessions of a Hitman), Best Director
Sarah Fortin (Nouveau Québec), Best Screenplay
Diego Guijarro (Carmen), Best Cinematography
2022CoyoteKatherine Jerkovic[39]
The 12 Tasks of Imelda (Les 12 travaux d’Imelda)Martin Villeneuve[40]
Adult AdoptionKaren Knox
Broken AngelJules Arita Koostachin
ColorblindMostafa Keshvari
DiasporaDeco Dawson
The End of SexSean Garrity
ExileJason James
Lissa's TripJeffery Lando
NiagaraGuillaume Lambert
Midnight at the ParadiseVanessa Matsui
PolarisKirsten Carthew
Rodeo (Rodéo)Joëlle Desjardins Paquette
Soft-Spoken Weepy Cult ChildIrina Lord
Craft awards:
Jorge Martinez Colorado (Coyote), Best Performance
Joëlle Desjardins Paquette (Rodeo), Best Director
Guillaume Lambert (Niagara), Best Screenplay
David Schuurman (Polaris), Best Cinematography
Arthur Tarnowski (The 12 Tasks of Imelda), Best Editing
2023Atikamekw Suns (Soleils Atikamekw)Chloé Leriche[41]
The Boy in the WoodsRebecca Snow[42]
The Burning SeasonSean Garrity
Finality of DuskMadison Thomas
Hailey RoseSandi Somers
My Mother's Men (Les hommes de ma mère)Anik Jean
The Nature of Love (Simple comme Sylvain)Monia Chokri
She Talks to StrangersBruce Sweeney
Tell Me Why These Things Are So Beautiful (Dis-moi pourquoi ces choses sont si belles)Lyne Charlebois
This TimeRobert Vaughn
With Love and a Major OrganKim Albright
Zoe.mp4Jeremy Lutter
Craft awards:
Ensemble cast of Atikamekw Suns, Best Performance
Chloé Leriche (Atikamekw Suns), Best Direction
Jonas Chernick and Diana Frances (The Burning Season), Best Screenplay
André Turpin (The Nature of Love), Best Cinematography
Robert Swartz (The Boy in the Woods), Best Editing

Notes and References

  1. Katherine Monk, "Whistler film festival set to soar". Vancouver Sun, December 3, 2004.
  2. Katherine Monk, "Whistler film fest to present award". Vancouver Sun, July 9, 2004.
  3. Alexandra Gill, "Whistler film festival launches Borsos award". The Globe and Mail, December 4, 2004.
  4. "Film fest feast proves there's more to life than VIFF". WestEnder, December 9, 2004.
  5. Michael D. Reid, "Filmmakers make tracks to Whistler". Montreal Gazette, November 21, 2004.
  6. Alexandra Gill, "Documentary takes feature award at Whistler". The Globe and Mail, December 5, 2005.
  7. Nicole Fitzgerald, "Borsos Award contenders announced". Pique Newsmagazine, November 11, 2005.
  8. Fiona Hughes, "Happy People tops Whistler Fest awards". Vancouver Courier, December 6, 2006.
  9. "Six Canadian films competing for big prize at Whistler film fest". Vancouver Sun, November 9, 2006.
  10. Yvonne Zacharias, "Lafleur takes top prize at Whistler; Continental, A Film Without Guns judged to be best new Canadian feature". Vancouver Sun, December 3, 2007.
  11. Glen Schaefer, "Whistler Film Festival draws fans, artists, deal-makers". The Province, November 1, 2007.
  12. Fred Lee, "Whistler fest shines on Canadian films; Justice gala supports first responders". National Post, December 13, 2008.
  13. "Sutherland oversees Whistler prize judging". The Province, November 5, 2008.
  14. Marke Andrews, "Quebec director Sophie Deraspe wrote, directed and shot Borsos winner". Vancouver Sun, December 7, 2009.
  15. "Flesh-toned movie vies for Borsos prize". The Province, November 3, 2009.
  16. Graeme McRanor, "It's a wrap for 10th anniversary of Whistler Film Festival; Highlights included a chat with filmmakers Monte Hellman, Bruce McDonald and Atom Egoyan and a new home for the film fest". Vancouver Sun, December 6, 2010.
  17. https://www.vimooz.com/2010/11/07/wff-announces-films-in-borsos-competition-and-inaugural-new-voices-international-feature-competition/ "WFF Announces Films in Borsos Competition and Inaugural New Voices International Feature Competition"
  18. [Margaret Langrick|Maggie Langrick]
  19. Stephen Smysnuik, Competition celebrates Canada's finest". Pique Newsmagazine, November 30, 2011.
  20. Glen Schaefer, "Teen angst film takes top award". The Province, December 3, 2012.
  21. Etan Vlessing, "Kate Melville’s ‘Picture Day’ Wins Best Canadian Feature at Whistler Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter, December 2, 2012.
  22. Etan Vlessing, "The Husband prevails in Whistler at the Borsos". Playback, December 9, 2013.
  23. Etan Vlessing, "Uvanga, Louis Cyr added to Whistler’s Borsos competition". Playback, October 15, 2013.
  24. Etan Vlessing, "Whistler: 'Felix and Meira' Makes Clean Sweep of Borsos Competition". The Hollywood Reporter, December 7, 2014.
  25. Jeremy Singer, "Whistler Film Festival Announces ‘Borsos Competition’ Finalists". Entertainment Tonight Canada, October 14, 2014. Archived October 17, 2023.
  26. Etan Vlessing, "Rossif Sutherland's 'River' Wins Big at Whistler Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter, December 12, 2015.
  27. Susan Gittins, "WFF: Whistler Film Festival Borsos Awards & Closing Gala Screening of Okanagan-Filmed NUMB on December 6th". Hollywood North Buzz, November 28, 2015.
  28. Jordan Pinto, "Before the Streets wins big in Whistler". Playback, December 5, 2016.
  29. Regan Reid, "Whistler Film Festival unveils 2016 lineup". Playback, November 1, 2016.
  30. Brandon Barrett, "Two-way tie for WFF's coveted Borsos Award". Pique Newsmagazine, December 6, 2017.
  31. Clare Ogilvie, "Borsos Competition honours Canadian filmmaking talent at WFF". Pique Newsmagazine, November 8, 2017.
  32. Adrian Mack, "Québécois film A Colony sweeps Whistler Film Fest awards". The Georgia Straight, December 3, 2018.
  33. Adrian Mack, "Antigone sweeps as Whistler film festival wraps". The Georgia Straight, December 11, 2019.
  34. Victor Stiff, "Whistler Film Festival Announces 2019 Line-up". That Shelf, November 6, 2019.
  35. Lauren Malyk, "Little Orphans wins Best Canadian Feature at WFF". Playback, December 21, 2020.
  36. Alyssa Noel, "Whistler Festival Film unveils 2020 lineup". Pique Newsmagazine, November 5, 2020.
  37. Charlie Smith, "Cinema of Sleep wins Borsos award for best Canadian feature at Whistler Film Festival". The Georgia Straight, December 20, 2021.
  38. Brandon Barrett, "Whistler Film Festival announces full lineup for hybrid 2021 event". Pique Newsmagazine, November 4, 2021.
  39. Pat Mullen, "River, Coyote Top Whistler Film Festival Awards Winners". Point of View, December 4, 2022.
  40. Alyssa Noel, "Whistler Film Festival announces film lineup". Pique Newsmagazine, November 2, 2022.
  41. Taimur Sikander Mirza, "Atikamekw Suns wins best Canadian feature at WFF". Playback, December 5, 2023.
  42. Taimur Sikander Mirza, "500 Days in the Wild to world premiere at Whistler". Playback, November 1, 2023.